Catching up with Cosmoscow. Art Dependence Magazine

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In just a matter of days, Cosmoscow art fair will take off once again in the Russian capital. Artdependence Magazine had a chance to ask several of the fair’s participants to share their expectations for the upcoming event, and to offer readers a sneak peek preview of what’s to come. Four gallerists from different countries talked with us about their local art scenes, the current trends they observe in contemporary art, and how they survive and succeed in the current art market.

 

Olga Temnikova, Temnikova & Kasela gallery (ESTONIA)
Ardependence Magazine: Tell us about your gallery: when and how it was opened, how it evolved, what are your gallery’s mission and plans?

 

Olga Temnikova: Temnikova & Kasela gallery was established in 2010 by gallerist and dealer Olga Temnikova and cultural promoter Indrek Kasela. It functions as one of the few commercial galleries in Estonia, representing local artists both locally and internationally. The gallery space, located in the center of Tallinn, also serves as a platform for introducing artists and projects from abroad. Through its local and international activity, the gallery aims to address the conditions in which it operates, contextualizing both its own practice as well as its place within a wider art world.

 

AD: What are you going to show at Cosmoscow? What are your expectations?

 

OT: We will show three artists – Finnish-German artist Mikko Hintz, Estonian Photographer Sigrid Viir and a painter Merike Estna. The last two will be presented in Moscow for the first time, although Merike Estna is already represented in several Russian collections. We are expecting to present an amazing stand and are hoping to engage in dialogue with local institutions, collectors and colleagues. Cosmoscow has always been a great fair for us on every level, so expectations are rather high.

 

AD: What do you think about the international art market, and your local art market? What are the tendencies and how does your gallery fit into the world’s art scene?

 

OT: The Estonian art market is a developing one – there are some amazing people we truly enjoy having around, and patrons have been really inspiring. In addition, Estonia recently became a part of international philanthropist organization Outset. The international market for an emerging gallery like ours still feels like combination of numerous local markets… some stronger, some weaker, in one way or the other. If we talk tendencies, then I’d say that art world is becoming more and more experience driven: collectors do not just want to own the artworks, they want to go deeper, they want to be a part of creation by supporting the production of large pieces, or maybe just help museums to collect  they want to help education, they want to share it with their children. I’d agree with opinion makers who argue that contemporary art is going through the stage rock music was going through in late 60s and 70s –  contemporary art has never been so popular, museums have never received these huge amounts of visitors, there have never been so many galleries, artists and collectors and it is fun, but it’s also a great challenge to be a part of it. By saying this I mean that we surely feel as though we are a part of it, we are for sure one of the 80% of galleries that make 20% of sales, but it is not about the money, we are not in hurry to convert it into hard cash. Rather, we are interested in having a program one can be proud of, a program which makes sense in Tallinn in the 21st Century. The goal is to keep on transforming Tallinn into a destination for artists and writers we admire and to not forget to have fun all along.